Ed Gein and his Use of Fantasy

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the use of fantasy in Eddie Gein's mind as he launched his horrific wave of murders in the late 1950s. The paper explores Gein's sexual frustrations, his curious inability to connect with women (or to find sexual gratification) in anything approaching a normal way, and his deeply conflicted relationship with an abusive and domineering mother. In the end, the paper suggests that Gein had fantasies about dominating and possessing women that were conjoined to murderous fantasies directed towards the maternal presence in his life.

From the Paper:

"The theory being developed thus far is that Eddie Gein was an individual who was unable to connect with women from a very early age and this inability - perhaps because of his curious relationship to his mother (Bardsley & Bell, 2005a) - led him down a path whereby women became objects he had to possess and consume. Obviously, there are many sexually frustrated men who do not become sexual psychopaths like Edward Gein, but a potent combination of latent insecurities, perhaps a psychological predisposition towards doing malevolent things to others, and a strained family life in his formative years pushed him "over the edge" and into a life of unspeakable evil."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bardsley, Marilyn, and Rachael Bell. (2005a). The beginning. Eddie Gein: The Serial Killer Buffalo Bill and Psycho Was Modeled From. Retrieved November 8, 2006, from
• Bardsley, Marilyn, and Rachael Bell. (2005b). A sexual psychopath. Eddie Gein: The Serial Killer Buffalo Bill and Psycho Was Modeled From. Retrieved November 8, 2006, from <http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/gein/5b.html>
• Doughton, Sandi. (2003, November 11). Why did Ridgway do it? Experts say he's like other serial killers. The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 8, 2006 from Newspaper Source database.
• Karpman, Benjamin. (1951). The sexual psychopath. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 42: 184-192.
• Kast, Sheilah (2005, February 27). Eric Hickey discusses the behavior and characteristics of serial killers. National Public Radio. Retrieved November 8, 2006, from Newspaper Source database.

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